


Feelings You've Never Felt Before (I Can Feel It)

by preciousjisung



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alpha Mingi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Omega Jongho, tags tba?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-02-29 16:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousjisung/pseuds/preciousjisung
Summary: All of Jongho's exes are assholes but maybe, just maybe, Song Mingi might be different.





	1. [001] Omega 'Enough'

Choi Jongho was described by some as being a strange omega. Sometimes, less pleasant words than _strange_ were used. Nonetheless, no one ever quite described him as normal. Aside from his small group of friends and his parents of course, Jongho didn’t know anyone who really, _truly_ liked him.

Jongho’s only friends were alphas - perhaps that was one of the reasons some people looked at him unfavorably, but Jongho had never been good at getting along with other omegas and for some reason, he never clicked with any of the betas he knew.

Perhaps a large part of it was that Yunho, Hongjoong, and Seonghwa were his childhood friends. They’d been best friends before any of them had ever presented; and when they started to present, it didn’t drive them apart. In fact, it drove them closer. They were a family, a pack, and Hongjoong was clearly their (unofficial) pack leader.

Two of them were _particularly_ close, which Jongho had discovered when he walked in on Hongjoong and Seonghwa one morning. If he’d fled and tried to convince Yunho to let him wash his eyes with bleach, well, clearly he hadn’t succeeded.

Despite the general public declaring that unmated alphas and omegas shouldn’t live together in case an alpha should _lose control_ , their group of four shared an apartment. None of them bought into that bullshit, anyway. It wasn’t a matter of ‘nature’ or uncontrollable hormones. Alphas who didn’t contain themselves weren’t really trying. Jongho knew that, all four of them did, and Yunho had told Jongho that it was very possible for an alpha to control their urges and leave an omega alone.

Grocery bags full of ice cream and other various comfort foods hanging from one arm, Jongho fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the apartment door. Seonghwa was paranoid about keeping it locked even when they were all at home, because they lived in the middle of the city and _‘it’s dangerous, Hongjoong!’_. So it came as no surprise to Jongho to push the door open and see the three alphas all on the couch, Hongjoong and Yunho playing video games and Seonghwa half-asleep.

The oldest alpha took one look at Jongho’s face, however, and snapped alert. “What happened, Jongho?”

The omega pushed the door shut and locked it, holding up his arm. He was almost surprised none of the bags had broken yet. “I brought ice cream.”

Hongjoong paused the video game and pushed off of the couch, padding over to the omega. “So… you mean I need to hit him with my car.”

“What did the asshole do?” Yunho rumbled. While Seonghwa took the bags from Jongho and vanished into the kitchen, the biggest alpha in the apartment patted the couch beside him. “Come here.”

Jongho went.

Hongjoong looked at them, sighed, and went into the kitchen after Seonghwa.

Jongho buried his face in Yunho’s shirt and inhaled the familiar, comforting smell, snuggling against his friend. Yunho patted his head and pulled the discarded blanket that was half-slipping off the couch over them both. It smelled like a mix of all four of them, but the alphas’ scents were stronger. It had been a while since Jongho had joined them for a cuddle on the couch.

“Scooch,” Hongjoong commanded, and Yunho pressed closer to the couch’s armrest. “Jongho, here.”

The omega accepted the offered bowl of ice cream, and Hongjoong handed the other one to Yunho. He and Seonghwa always shared a bowl - habit was a funny thing. No one even dished four bowls anymore, they just dished two regular bowls and one slightly larger bowl.

Dutch chocolate had always been Jongho’s favorite flavor for whenever he was upset.

Hongjoong settled down on Jongho’s other side, Seonghwa pressed up against him. The warmth was familiar and comforting, and Jongho curled in closer to Yunho. The two alphas shifted in closer in response, and the omega sighed, content.

“So what did he do?” Yunho asked, carding his fingers through Jongho’s hair. The large alpha’s ice cream was melting, but he didn’t seem too bothered by it.

Jongho stared into his bowl.

He and Minhyuk had been dating for two months now. The alpha had seemed fairly nice, albeit a little too flirty, and while Jongho hadn’t thought he was the one, he’d started to really enjoy spending time with Minhyuk.

But, of course, just like every other alpha Jongho had dated, Minhyuk turned out to be a jerk.

“...he told me I’m just not _omega_ enough,” Jongho finally murmured.

Yunho bristled, hand stilling. “The hell is _that_ supposed to mean?”

Jongho shrugged and shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth so he wouldn’t have to answer more questions. He could tell Yunho was angry, and from Hongjoong and Seonghwa’s stiff silence, they probably were too. The omega honestly felt a little sorry for Minhyuk. His last ex-boyfriend had gotten punched in the face.

But then again, he’d deserved it.

Seonghwa hummed. “Maybe it’s just your personality, Jongho.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better, or worse?” the omega demanded tiredly.

Seonghwa sighed at him. “What I mean is, you’re not passive or submissive or quiet about things. Dickheaded alphas like Minhyuk don’t like assertive omegas.”

Jongho frowned. “What about the betas I’ve dated?”

“You’ve only dated two betas,” Hongjoong reminded. “There’s just a lot of jerks in the world. Maybe you just have… bad luck in the romance department.”

The apartment was silent for a few moments before Yunho cleared his throat. “Mind if I borrow your car tomorrow, Joong?”

“Sure,” Hongjoong shrugged. Then he paused. “Wait, what do you need my car for? You don’t work tomorrow.”

“I’m going to accidentally run over Lee Minhyuk and then back over him to make sure he’s dead,” Yunho answered.

“You… do know I was kidding about running him over, right?”

“Yeah. You were. I’m not.”

Jongho sighed. “It’s not worth going to jail over, hyung. Just leave it be.” He stuck another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, staring at the TV as though his eyes could set it aflame.

The large alpha sighed through his nose. “Okay, I won’t hit him with a car. I can’t promise not to give him a bloody nose, though.”

“For some reason I have the feeling you’ll do more than bloody his nose,” drawled Seonghwa. He dragged himself off of the couch, leaving the shared bowl in Hongjoong’s hands. “Anyone have dinner plans?”

“Ice cream,” Jongho mumbled.

“You can’t have ice cream for dinner, it’s not a meal,” Seonghwa scolded. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Yeah, that’s a no.”

The alpha who was standing stretched like a cat. “Alright. I’ll whip something up, then.”

“Do you want some help?” Jongho asked, but rather than attempting to stand he pulled the blanket higher over his shoulders and held his empty bowl out toward the alpha. Seonghwa snorted, and shook his head when he took it from his hands.

“I think I’ll be able to manage.”

“Kay.” Jongho closed his eyes and relaxed against Yunho, the hand in his hair and familiar scents lulling him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

“Jongho. Hey, Jongho. Wake up.”

When he opened his eyes, Hongjoong’s own amused eyes were the first thing the omega saw.

Jongho pushed himself up with a groan, Yunho making a noise like a deflating balloon underneath him. The omega muttered an apology and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost seven.”

The blood drained out of Jongho’s face. “You let me sleep that long?”

“We didn’t want to disturb you,” shrugged Seonghwa. “But dinner’s ready now.”

Jongho glanced at Yunho and then rubbed his forehead, getting to his feet. “Okay… let me go wash up.”

Seonghwa nodded and went back into the kitchen area, followed by Hongjoong.

Jongho walked to the bathroom, feeling the beginnings of a headache pressing at the walls of his skull. He made a mental note to drink water with dinner and flipped on the lightswitch, staring at himself in the mirror as he kicked the door shut.

Maybe he was too muscular and too strong. Jongho didn’t ask to be strong. It wasn’t like he’d worked out with the goal of building muscle mass. He just kind of… did things and got strong as he grew up.

Or maybe it was his face. Jongho wasn’t as pretty as other omegas he was acquainted with, like Wonpil and Ten and Gahyeon. All of them were stunning and he was just… average, or maybe even less than that.

He sighed and turned the water on, not wanting one of his friends to barge in demanding if something was wrong. Splashing his face with the cold water in an attempt to wake himself the rest of the way, and perhaps fight off potential tears, the omega searched for the bar soap and found it in the cabinet and instead of in the tray where it belonged.

Jongho shook his head as he scrubbed his hands.

Maybe Minhyuk was right.

Maybe Jongho just didn’t act enough like an omega.


	2. [002] Hard Feelings

Jongho had gotten dumped, and yet there he was, trying to eat his lunch in peace when someone’s shadow fell over him. Dreading to see who it was, he kept his gaze down for a few moments and then finally looked up.

Minhyuk.

Of _course_ it was Minhyuk.

The omega slowly put his fork down and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the alpha who hovered beside the table. “What do you want, Minhyuk?” People were watching them, staring at them in interest even if they were trying to pretend they weren’t. It made Jongho feel rather uncomfortable, but he chose not to display that and instead schooled his face to a blank expression.

Minhyuk shifted awkwardly, seeming uncomfortable under his gaze. “I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between the two of us.”

Jongho was quiet for a few moments, unable to properly wrap his brain around what Minhyuk had just said. He almost wanted to believe he’d misheard, but he knew better; he’d been down this road with a few too many ex-boyfriends already. The road where they broke up, and then wanted to say stupid things like _that_. The omega didn’t even know why they bothered – it changed nothing, except to sometimes make him feel more hurt or angry than he had before.

Finally, he folded his arms over his chest and stared into Minhyuk’s eyes when he responded. “Excuse me?”

“I—”

Jongho’s snort of disbelief cut the alpha off. “You’ve got to be kidding me. _No hard feelings_? Minhyuk, you told me you wanted to break up because I wasn’t _enough of an omega_ for you. Any self-respecting omega would resent anyone who would speak to them like that.”

“Jongho—”

“Just leave me alone, Minhyuk. I have no desire to talk to you.” Jongho rubbed his eyes, feeling tired and a little bit embarrassed at all the attention they were getting.

He was still feeling humiliated, and seeing Minhyuk in the flesh made the shame and self-doubt return.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“What did you _think_ saying that was going to do?! Make me feel like a million fucking _dollars_?!” Jongho raged. The outburst came out louder than the omega had intended, but at that point, he didn’t care. “You insulted me on the basis of my secondary gender, do you know how that feels?! Of course you don’t, because _you_ are the poster boy for dickwad alphas everywhere who think they’re superior and omegas have to be soft, pretty, weak, and submissive!”

“People are staring,” Minhyuk stated, looking around them with an air of almost nervousness. It was true, Jongho’s outburst had attracted more attention, but the omega honestly didn’t care. It seemed like no one could keep their nose in their own business, and people were going to be talking about them anyway.

Jongho rolled his eyes. “People were _staring_ when you dumped me yesterday, Minhyuk. You didn’t care then. I don’t care now. Go away, leave me alone, there’s no reason for you to try to talk to me anymore.”

Minhyuk looked like he wanted to say more, perhaps attempt to refute Jongho’s statement or argue with him about _staying friends_ despite their breakup, but Yunho chose that moment to appear, resting his hand on the back of the omega’s chair.

“Is something going on here, Jongho?” he asked, his voice soft but his posture threatening, conveying a very clear message. “Is he bothering you?”

Faced with Yunho, whose protective tendencies were well-known, the other alpha paled and fled. Tension that Jongho didn’t know had built up bled out of his frame, allowing the omega to relax in his chair.

Even still, once Yunho sat down, Jongho scowled at him. “Stop doing that. I can handle Minhyuk on my own.”

“I know you can,” Yunho shrugged, “but you looked like you were about to go over the table and whoop his ass. And while it would have been funny to see you destroy his fragile alpha pride even further, I think you should go about doing that after class hours.”

Jongho wrinkled his nose. “I wasn’t going to _whoop his ass_ , Yunho. Bust his nose, maybe. But any more than that would be a waste of my time _and_ my energy.”

At least it made Yunho laugh.

 

* * *

 

“You’re fruity.”

“What?” Confused, Jongho looked up from the counter he was wiping down. “What do you mean, I’m _fruity_?”

His coworker Mingi, an alpha the same age as Yunho, floundered. “Not, like in an insulting way, uh, I didn’t mean anything like that, you’re just— _ow_ —you smell like fruit!”

Jongho had to blink, counter forgotten as he stared dumbfounded at the alpha who had somehow managed to smack himself in the face with his broom while trying to explain himself. “Mingi—”

“—you just smell like apples and oranges. And pears, a little bit? But mostly apples and oranges and… and peaches too. Peaches are prominent. And—”

“— _Mingi_ , we’ve known each other for how long?”

His coworker stopped rambling, brows furrowed and lips parted as he held the broom away from himself and mulled over that question. “...uh. Months? Yeah, it’s been like. Seven months?”

“And this is the _first time_ you’ve noticed what I smell like?” Jongho asked, resting his hip against the counter and folding his arms, damp rag cool even through the fabric of his shirt.

“Not… exactly? Of course I’ve noticed your smell before.” His words were half-mumbled but Jongho still heard them; the cafe was empty except for the two of them and another coworker in the back and was dead silent.

“Then why are you only mentioning it now?”

“Your scent’s just a little strong today!” Mingi flailed, proceeding to drop the broom in the process.

Jongho snorted, shook his head and turned back to the task of cleaning the counter. “You’re so weird sometimes, Mingi.”

The alpha bumped Jongho’s foot with the broom, snagging his attention again and grinning at him from where he was kneeling on the floor. His smile was lopsided and toothy and didn’t fail to make Jongho smile as well. “If I’m weird, then so are you,” he responded good-naturedly.

Jongho huffed. “Touché.”

“Mhm.” Mingi hopped up and dusted himself off. “Hey, do you need someone to walk you home tonight?”

Jongho’s counter-scrubbing paused momentarily, but he resumed the task quickly. “I’ll text Hongjoong and he’ll come pick me up.”

“You sure? Move your feet, please.”

Jongho did as requested. “Yeah, I’m sure. Why do you ask, anyway?”

“Your really quiet roommate is usually waiting outside by now like a creeper, and I don’t see him today,” Mingi shrugged.

“Did you just call Seonghwa a creeper?”

“No! I know he’s _not_ one, but he _looks_ like one. Especially because he’s always wearing dark clothes and trench coats!” Mingi defended, putting his hands up in surrender (and dropping the broom again) when Jongho started rolling up the rag like he was going to hit him with it.

Jongho snorted. “It’s Seonghwa’s fashion sense, that’s all.”

“His _fashion sense_ makes him look like he’s about to kidnap somebody,” their coworker Siyeon put in. She was a beta, a no-nonsense little creature whose sharp eyes, sharp tongue and commanding air made people frequently mistake her for an alpha. “You two seriously aren’t done yet?”

“I blame Mingi,” Jongho grumbled. “He’s the one who called me fruity.”

“I’m telling you, your scent is strong today!” Mingi complained, and picked up the broom once again.

Siyeon arched a brow at them, and shook her head. “Kids,” she muttered (rather affectionately). “Hurry up, you two. I’d like to get home at a reasonable hour.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Mingi cheered, and nearly dropped the broom a third time but managed to catch it – surprisingly without poking himself in the eye. Siyeon sighed, rolled her eyes toward the heavens as though asking why she was stuck with the two of them, and turned on her heel to leave them alone in the front.

They finished their respective duties in relative silence, broken only occasionally by Mingi humming for a few moments and then falling quiet again. The alpha stowed the broom and Jongho got rid of his rag and then they both filed out under Siyeon’s watchful gaze.

The beta left, but Mingi leaned against the side of the cafe, hands in the pockets of his denim jacket. Puzzled, Jongho put his phone away (after texting Hongjoong) and blinked at him.

“...Don’t you need to get home, Mingi?”

His coworker shrugged. “Yeah, but I figured I could wait with you until your roommate gets here.”

Jongho stared at him for a moment. “That’s not—”

“I just want to.”

It was the omega’s turn to shrug. “Suit yourself.”

“I will,” Mingi beamed. A soft silence fell around them after that, Mingi checking his phone on occasion while Jongho merely stared off into the distance, his mind almost entirely blank.

Mingi inhaled, his brows furrowing as he lowered his phone. “Your scent is still really strong.”

Jongho frowned. “Jeez, do I really smell that bad?”

“It’s not _bad_ , it’s just overpowering,” Mingi denied.

“Maybe your nose is messed up. None of the customers said anything about it,” Jongho pointed out, an attempt to cover up how antsy Mingi’s continual observation of his scent made him feel.

Mingi frowned. “I didn’t really notice it until after closing,” he reminded. “So maybe my nose isn’t messed up.”

“But maybe it is.”

“But maybe it isn’t.”

“But maybe it _is_.”

“But it might not be.”

“But it could be and you just don’t know it yet.”

“But what if it’s not?”

The honking of a horn startled Jongho and Mingi out of their banter. Hongjoong poked his head out of the window of his car and stared at Jongho, giving him the dad look.

“Guess you better get going,” Mingi remarked with a grin, giving Hongjoong a wave and an apologetic smile.

“Yeah.” Jongho paused. “Thanks for waiting with me, Mingi.”

“You’re welcome,” he beamed. “Now… please get going before Hongjoong decides to murder me.”

Jongho was grinning when he slid into the passenger’s seat of Hongjoong’s car and dropped his bag on the floorboard.

“So, who was that?”

“My coworker Mingi,” Jongho answered.

Hongjoong nodded. “What were you talking about?”

“He kept saying I smelled really strong.” Jongho shrugged. “Do I smell strong?”

Hongjoong shook his head. “You smell like you, that’s about it.”

That was the last thing Jongho remembered of the ride back to their apartment, because he fell asleep shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is 90% dialogue and 100% shit I'm so sorry


	3. [003] Lazy Mornings

Jongho was still curious about his scent when he and Hongjoong got back to their apartment, and he made a beeline for Yunho as soon as he was through the door. “Is my scent any stronger than it usually is?”

Yunho looked confused. “No. You smell how you always do. Why?”

“My coworker Mingi said my scent was overpowering,” the omega answered as he finally toed off his shoes and shed his jacket. He kicked the shoes over to rest in the haphazard pile that had formed by the door again and hung his jacket in the hallway closet. “But no one else seemed to notice anything. And no one else said anything about it, either. I asked Hongjoong, too, and he said I smelled normal.”

Yunho scratched his chin. “Maybe your coworker’s nose is malfunctioning, or maybe it’s just sensitive today. Or… huh. That would make sense if it were the case,” the big alpha mused, without elaborating on whatever was running through his mind.

“What would make sense?” Jongho prompted.

“He’s probably going to start his rut soon,” Yunho shrugged. He’d never shied away from speaking freely of that sort of thing, which Jongho appreciated at some times and loathed at others. “It would make sense that your scent would seem stronger to him, since you’re an unmated omega and the two of you were in close proximity for hours.”

“But… wouldn’t he know he was just perceiving my scent as stronger because his rut was approaching?”

“We don’t always know when our ruts are coming,” Seonghwa emerged from the bathroom, towel in hand as he dabbed at his face. “They’re not as regular—no, consistent—as omegas’ heats are.”

Jongho’s face scrunched up. “All of your ruts seem fairly consistent,” he grumbled. “

Trust us, there’s been several times our ruts came early or late, or not at all,” Hongjoong promised. “It’s just harder to notice because we rut less frequently than you go into heat.”

“Biology favors you,” Jongho muttered, but all four of them knew that he wasn’t serious and that the remark was meant in jest. With a yawn, the tired omega rubbed his eyes. “I think I’m going to go to bed now.”

“Good night,” Yunho uttered, squishing the omega against his chest in a firm hug. Jongho got his _good nights_ from the other two and then gave his own before vanishing into the room he shared with Yunho.

 

* * *

 

Jongho tossed and turned that night, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in while Yunho slumbered away, dead to the world even though he had snuck into Jongho’s bed and by all rights the omega’s churning back and forth should have woken him. Jongho just couldn’t find a position that was comfortable for him, nor could he settle the thoughts that were roving around in his mind. It was like a broken lightswitch, one that could be turned on but not off.

Jongho hated it. The clock on his bedside table read 2:38, telling him that it was early of the morning, and he still had yet to fall asleep. It disheartened him because he knew his alarm was going to go off at six, and he wouldn’t be able to catch any makeup sleep between classes and work. On days that he had a full schedule and couldn’t sleep, Jongho was miserable.

The omega didn’t know why he couldn’t sleep, either. It baffled him. Yunho was unmoving beside him, and they’d shared a bed often enough for his presence to be more comforting than anything else. There was no reason for him to be so wide awake.

He was exhausted but couldn’t sleep, and he hated it.

Jongho just wanted to close his eyes and get some rest, but it wasn’t working and he resolved to watching the minutes tick by, the early morning sliding later and later as the time neared six.

At close to four thirty, he fell asleep.

It felt like no time had passed before Jongho’s alarm went off, however, and he had to drag himself out of bed and prepare for the day.

Halfway to his closet, he realized it was a Saturday and that he had no classes. This made him a little more than a little upset, because he’d woken with the alarm and dragged himself out of bed for nothing when he could have just stayed tucked under blankets and against a breathing space heater (Yunho, for those who couldn’t guess). Muttering in irritation, Jongho shuffled back to the bed and stole under the covers, pressing into the warm mass that was Yunho. The sleeping alpha merely scratched his stomach and rolled over onto his side, allowing Jongho to monopolize on his body heat. The warmth lulled the omega back to sleep, resting comfortably in the space between Yunho and the wall.

He didn’t open his eyes again until sun was filtering through the window, spilling over both of them and forcing him to rejoin the world of the living. Yunho was already awake, playing Candy Crush on his phone while he waited for Jongho to wake up too.

“Good morning,” the alpha murmured when Jongho started squirming around because of the sun’s ever-persistent rays. His voice was thick with sleep. “How are you feeling?”

“Stupid sun,” Jongho mumbled. He shoved his face against Yunho’s side and pulled the blankets over the top of his head to hide from the sunlight. The alpha chuckled fondly, putting one arm around Jongho to tuck him close to his body.

“You’re like a vampire, trying to hide from the sun,” Yunho teased, continuing his game one-handed. He’d probably drop his phone on his face at some point (he always did). “Don’t suck my blood while you’re under there.”

Jongho nipped at Yunho’s side. “Don’t tempt me,” he grumbled.

Unfortunately, Jongho didn’t get the extra sleep he’d wanted. Seonghwa opened the door and leaned inside, bringing the smell of breakfast cooking with him. “Breakfast in five,” he stated. “Jongie, you can’t hide under your blankets all day.”

It was impossible to argue with Seonghwa, and so Jongho poked his head out from under the blanket as soon as the door had closed. Blinking against the light, he rested his head on Yunho’s shoulder, staring over at the wall as he tried to get himself fully awake without much effort on his part.

While Jongho didn’t particularly want to drag himself out of bed, he could smell bacon and eggs, and that was well worth the sacrifice of a warm cocoon. He could probably convince one or more of his friends to snuggle with him on the couch afterward anyway, which would make it a win-win for him.

This was what motivated him to actually untangle himself from his blankets and pad over to his closet to get dressed for the day, choosing clothes that were comfortable to lounge around in. He could hear Yunho rolling out of bed behind him, phone abandoned on the nightstand as the alpha moved to retrieve his own clothing and change. The four of them had changed in front of one another all the time since they were little children, which made it impossible for them to be uncomfortable with it.

Yunho ruffled Jongho’s hair on his way out, and the omega chased after him with the full intent to give him a good thwap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i suck at writing :')


	4. [004] Policy

Mingi wasn’t at work that afternoon.

That left Jongho to work the front by himself, because apparently no one had thought to call someone to have them cover the alpha’s shift. It was one of those days where the cafe had been scheduled to be understaffed as it was, but with Mingi not working, Jongho was stressed before his shift even started.

“Good luck,” sighed Byulyi, the female alpha pulling her hair out of her ponytail and removing her apron. She folded it neatly and put it in her locker, which was between Mingi’s and Siyeon’s. “The lunch rush was insane.”

“At least I missed that,” Jongho muttered, but that didn’t help the slight dread that was building in the pit of his stomach. He tied on his apron in silence while Byulyi collected her belongings and left. He really wasn’t looking forward to his shift.

 

* * *

 

Jongho’s sense of dread seemed to be one that wasn’t misplaced, because he was an hour into his shift when the door swung open and Minhyuk walked in like he owned the place. All of Jongho wanted to disappear into the back and pretend that he didn’t know his ex had walked in, but since he was the only one working the front, he didn’t have that luxury.

“What can I get for you?” Jongho asked, forcing a false smile onto his face. Minhyuk didn’t seem to notice the omega’s tension, or the strain of his attempt to keep a smile on his face. Jongho really couldn’t afford to lose his job for disrespecting a customer - and like it or not, Minhyuk was a customer.

“My usual,” the alpha answered. “Look, Jongho, I’m sorry.”

The omega scowled, putting Minhyuk’s order in as gently as he could, despite his desire to jam it in as viciously as possible. “Don’t bring this into my workplace, Lee Minhyuk. I don’t have the time or the patience for you right now.”

The alpha grimaced, but raised his hands in surrender after handing over the exact amount for his order. “I’ll just… be over there. Waiting for my order.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Jongho told him.

Once his ex had moved away from the counter to wait at one of the tables, Jongho returned to making and sending out orders, and taking the orders of customers who popped up between the orders he was trying to fix.

It wasn’t long before he had Minhyuk’s drink in hand and was setting it on the counter. “Minhyuk, coffee’s ready,” he announced, and the alpha came to retrieve his drink.

“See you around, Jongho.”

The omega was more than relieved when the door finally swung shut behind Minhyuk. The presence of his ex-boyfriend was just additional stress that Jongho didn’t really need, especially on a day when he was the only person working in the front and Minhyuk apparently thought that he had more to say.

Apparently he was one of those alphas who couldn’t get the memo when someone was done listening, and Jongho was definitely done listening.

 

* * *

 

Mingi wasn’t at work for the next week, which made Jongho believe that Yunho’s theory about the alpha going into rut was correct. The cafe had a policy to prevent employees from working during their heats and ruts. It was considered a “protection policy”, which in other words meant that the cafe’s owner and management couldn’t be held responsible for their employees assaulting someone or being assaulted while they were on their shift. It was the sort of policy that all companies were advised to put into place to prevent lawsuits.

Of course, it was one of those policies that essentially stated that omegas in heat provoked the actions of alphas and that, should an incident occur, they were to blame for being out and about while they were in their heat. It protected alphas both in and out of rut with a bullshit line about ‘lack of control’ and ‘the nature of the alpha’, while targeting omegas who couldn’t help their biology.

The policy was just another one of the things that Jongho hated because of underlying meanings or implications toward omegas, and excuses that were made for alphas who couldn’t control themselves. There was almost no employer without that policy or a similar one in place, however. It was everywhere, from small mom-and-pop restaurants and businesses to fast food chains and large-scale corporations.

Jongho feared that one day it would be illegal to operate any form of business without that kind of a policy being in play.

On the ninth day, Mingi walked through the employee doors and went to his locker, widely grinning like he always did and calling a greeting out to Jongho. It was routine; it was how every workday with Mingi went.

The omega smiled in response, tying on his apron. “It’s about time you came back,” he teased. “I’ve been working my tail off to cover for you while you were gone.”

Leaning around the open door of his locker, Mingi looked worried. “What do you mean? Did you have to work eight days in a row?”

“Well, yeah, but it wasn’t so bad,” Jongho shrugged. “The first day was the worst because we were so understaffed, but I survived.”

He didn’t mention Minhyuk, because he hadn’t even told Yunho, and he was afraid that somehow, word would get around to Yunho and then Minhyuk might actually end up in the hospital. Yunho didn’t make threats, and he’d already warned Minhyuk to leave Jongho alone once. And while Jongho didn’t want Minhyuk to bother him anymore, he also didn’t want the alpha to waste hospital space, either.

“Clearly, since you’re here,” Mingi snorted, bringing Jongho out of his distracted thoughts. “Hey, I’m sorry for missing work and making you work overtime--”

“Don’t apologize. I’m pretty sure I know why you weren’t here,” Jongho remarked drily. He closed his locker and locked it, turning to the alpha who was tying on his own apron. “Just next time, maybe call around and see if someone can cover your first day shift, because clearly management won’t do it.”

Mingi blushed. “Well, uh… at least that’s one person I don’t have to explain my absence to,” he joked while he shut his own locker. “Did anything interesting happen while I was… out?”

Jongho’s nose wrinkled. “You could say that. I met San.”

Mingi laughed. “You didn’t.”

“But I did,” Jongho confirmed. He had indeed met Mingi's best friend. 

The alpha looked rather curious. “What did he say?”

“Relax, he didn’t spill any of your dirty secrets, if you even have any.” Jongho stepped out of the locker room, trailed by Mingi. “He just ordered coffee and introduced himself. He didn’t say anything that could be taken as embarrassing or scandalous.”

“That’s a first,” Mingi muttered. “He seems to love embarrassing me.”

Jongho wrinkled his nose again. “Isn’t that how all friends are? I mean, Seonghwa, Hongjoong and Yunho love to embarrass me, too.”

“I’d have to see it to believe it. I still think Seonghwa is a creepy stalker.”

Jongho scowled. “He is not! Seonghwa’s a really nice, lovable guy. You just don’t know because you’ve never actually talked to him. If you met Seonghwa, you’d know that he’s a great person.”

“A great person who looks like a creepy stalker,” Mingi agreed.

“Damn it, Mingi!”

**Author's Note:**

> don't mind me i'm just writing another trashy jonggi fic with protective bestie yunho


End file.
